The Varieties of Religious Experience

William James

At the turn of the twentieth century, there was an ongoing academic battle between theologians who affirmed their belief in God and scientists who rejected any belief in the supernatural as being superstitious, exploitative, or, at the very least, wishful thinking. William James saw a need to take an objective look at these arguments and then present his analysis of them. That is what he attempted to accomplish in The Varieties of Religious Experience, which began as a series of lectures.

James defined religion as the feelings, acts, and experiences of individuals in their solitude as they contemplate whatever they may consider to be divine—not what takes place in a building. His goal in the lectures was the scientific examination and evaluation of the religious experiences of humanity from anthropological, psychological, and philosophical perspectives. Although at times he seemed skeptical about these experiences, he did not dismiss them as false or invalid. Rather, he raised significant, relevant questions concerning religion and suggested possible clues or answers to them.